Nutrient-fortified, reduced-calorie fruit and/or vegetable food product and processes for making same

ABSTRACT

A reduced-calorie fruit and/or vegetable spread product, optionally fortified with additional nutrients, including whole, natural fruit(s) and/or vegetable(s), or combinations thereof, having improved flavor, texture (e.g., mouth feel), color, and nutritional value as compared to fruit and/or vegetable spread products made with conventional processes. More particularly, the present invention includes a fruit and/or vegetable spread product having reduced caloric and carbohydrate content and having increased soluble dietary fiber content, optionally fortified with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, and processes for making, or preparing, the same.

RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/803,127, filed on Mar. 8, 2001 (pending), whichis specifically incorporated by this reference as if set forth herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates, generally, to the field of fruitand vegetable spread products and, in its preferred embodiments, to areduced-calorie, natural, whole-fruit and/or vegetable spread productfortified with dietary fiber, vitamins and/or minerals.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] A growing awareness of the link between a healthy diet andimproved physical health has led to new product development in the foodmanufacturing business. Because busy lifestyles often prevent consumersfrom consistently making the healthy food choices necessary to realizeimproved health, manufacturers have introduced traditional foodsfortified with vitamins, minerals, fiber, digestive aids such asprobiotics, and other nutrients into the marketplace.

[0004] Adding nutritional supplements to food products, however, oftenresults in certain complications such as a loss of flavor or texture ofthe food. Additionally, the appearance of the product may be compromisedby mineral residues and grittiness which can remain on the surfaces offood packaging. These problems are especially evident when the foodproduct contains fresh fruits and/or vegetables since consumers tend toequate the integrity of the fruits and/or vegetables with the freshnessand quality of the overall product.

[0005] A further complication of processing fruits and vegetables,especially those fortified with additional nutrients, arises due to thefragile nature of the microorganisms present in these products. Forfruits and vegetable spreads enhanced with nutritional supplements, amanufacturer must take a great deal of care to kill the microorganismspresent in the fruit without destroying the integrity of the supplementsand without compromising the taste, texture and appearance of theproduct.

[0006] Many individuals apply fruit or vegetable spreads, such as jams,jellies, relishes, purees and preserves, to other food products in orderto enhance the flavor and nutritional value of the other food productswith the taste and nutritional content of the fruit or vegetablespreads. Such fruit or vegetable spreads, generally, include a fruit orvegetable ingredient and a saccharide ingredient, but may also containnutritive carbohydrate sweeteners, spice, acidifying agents, pectin(i.e., in an amount sufficient to compensate for natural deficiency infruit or vegetable), buffering and antifoaming agents, preservatives,and other ingredients or agents for improving or preserving their taste,nutritional value, and quality. The saccharide ingredient in jams,jellies and preserves is typically sugar, which provides sweetening,bulk, texture, and mouth feel. The sugar also reduces the water activitylevel, thereby reducing pathogen growth.

[0007] Typically, the preparation of jams, jellies, purees and preservescomprises a number of steps. Initially, fruit ingredients in apulverized form, sweeteners and water are blended together. Astabilizing solution, such as pectin, is then prepared and added to thefruit, sweetener, and water blend to produce a mixture. Duringsubsequent cooking of the mixture in vats, unwanted water is evaporatedto create a cooked mixture having a desired soluble solids content.Finally, the cooked mixture is placed in suitable receptacles, such asjars, through a hot-filling process. Unfortunately, the steps of cookingand evaporation cause the fruit spread to lose flavor intensity (i.e.,through boiling-off), texture and mouth feel (i.e., through breakdown ofthe fruit fibers into mush), natural color (i.e., through darkening oroxidation), and nutrients (i.e., through boiling-off).

[0008] One approach to the problem of nutrient loss is to fortify thejam, jelly, fruit or vegetable spread or food product with vitamins,minerals, fiber, or other nutrients, either alone or in combination.Through fortification, a manufacturer can supplement the nutritionalvalue of a food by adding additional nutrients.

[0009] Several fortified food products are already known in the art. Forinstance, confectionary foods, breakfast cereals and nutritional drinksare available which are fortified with fiber and/or calcium. However,the addition of fortifying nutrients often affects the taste and/ormouth feel of the product, imparting bitterness or grittiness to thefood. Foods containing fruits and/or vegetables are especially difficultto fortify if preserving the texture and integrity of the fruit and/orvegetable is important to the final product.

[0010] Calcium is often used as a binding agent for supplementalnutrients added to fortified foods. The calcium is bulky, however,making the resulting food product gritty or otherwise texturallyunsatisfactory.

[0011] Other inventors and manufacturers, in response to studiesindicating that excessive amounts of sugar in food products maycontribute to or exacerbate many health problems and to the resultantdesire among consumers for low-sugar fruit spreads, have attempted toenhance the healthiness of food products by employing sugar substitutesto produce low-calorie, low-sugar products. However, such sugarsubstitutes and processes for making food products which incorporatethem, tend to create products having various difficulties, includingdeficiencies in sensory (sweetness intensity, quality and flavor),visual (color, clarity and gloss), and textural (firmness, body, mouthfeel, and spreadability) properties as compared to their naturallysweetened counterparts. Some inventors, attempting to resolve suchdeficiencies, incorporate a multi-component gum system to impartdesirable textural properties to pectin or carrageenan gel, but useconventional heating methods of preparation and, as a result of heatbreakdown of the gums, produce a food product deficient in flavor.

[0012] Still other inventors and manufacturers have attempted to producejams, jellies and other food products with a reduced caloric content bysubstituting oligofructose and/or inulin in place of some of the sugar,while taking advantage of the known bulking properties of such fructans.Unfortunately, traditional food processing tends to degrade theoligofructose and/or inulin at high temperatures and low pH, and becausethe shelf-life of products containing oligofructose may be inadequate,these attempts have proven difficult. In an attempt to extend theshelf-life of products containing oligofructose, pasteurizationprocesses have been used, even though it is known that thepasteurization conditions may cause the oligofructose to degrade and,hence, be detrimental to the quality of the products.

[0013] Finally, still other inventors and manufacturers have attemptedto resolve the, as yet undiscussed, problem of microbiologicalcontamination which may occur during the preparation of some foodproducts, particularly those incorporating fresh fruit and/orvegetables. Unfortunately, because the fruit and/or vegetables must bestable against processing stress, certain varieties, especially berryvarieties, of fruit cannot be used in food products made with high-heatprocesses. Moreover, fruit spread products made with such process have,or tend to have, a texture similar to that of gelatin desserts (e.g.,JELL-O®), which are very watery and not suitable for spreading, forinstance, on toast. Further, even at refrigerated temperatures, fruitspread products prepared using the heated process have an extremelyshort shelf-life.

[0014] Until now, there has seemingly been no attempt to resolve thedifficulty of manufacturing a nutritionally fortified low-calorie foodspread while maintaining the texture and mouth feel of whole fruits orvegetables. The changes in texture, taste, odor and shelf stabilitycaused by adding vitamins and minerals to food products have beendiscussed, but a method to preserve the manufacturing quality offortified food products, especially those containing fresh fruit, hasnot been disclosed.

[0015] Therefore, there exists in the industry, a need for a process formaking a nutritionally-fortified, reduced-calorie, natural, whole-fruitand/or vegetable food product with an adequate shelf-life which does notdiminish the natural flavor, texture, mouth feel, color, or nutritionalcontent of the fruit(s) and/or vegetable(s) therein, and for addressingthese and other related, and unrelated, problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Briefly described, the present invention comprises anutritionally-fortified, reduced-calorie fruit and/or vegetable spreadproduct (as defined herein) including whole, natural fruit(s) and/orvegetable(s) (as defined herein) or combinations thereof and processesfor making, or preparing, the same. More particularly, in its preferredembodiments, a process of the present invention comprises apasteurization step for making a fruit and/or vegetable spread producthaving reduced caloric and sugar content and having increased solubledietary fiber and increased nutritional content. Thenutritionally-fortified fruit and/or vegetable spread product may, forexample and not limitation, be molded into sticks, pops, patties, orfrozen novelties such as is done with margarine or ice cream, and/ortransferred to a container (such as a jar, tub, or tube) or wrapper forpackaging and subsequent sale as a standalone product. Thenutritionally-fortified fruit and/or vegetable spread product may alsobe used as a base for other food products such as, for example and notlimitation, yogurts, drinks, beverages, smoothies, snacks, pie fillings,puddings, ice cream toppings, condiments, fruit toppings, dressings,baby food, curd, cheeses, dips and sauces. Additionally, thenutritionally-fortified fruit and/or vegetable spread product may bespread onto other foods, for example and not limitation, like a jam,jelly, preserve, puree, marmalade, dressing, topping, condiment, cheese,dip or sauce.

[0017] Importantly, the processes produce a fruit and/or vegetablespread product, as defined herein, without the discoloration and thereductions in flavor, texture, mouth feel, and nutrients that occur withfruit or vegetable spread products made with conventional processeswhich include a vat cooking and/or evaporation step. Additionally, theprocess produces a fruit and/or vegetable spread product without thegritty mouth feel and the reductions in product quality that occur withfood products made with conventional process which include fortifiednutrients. The fruit and/or vegetable spread products produced by theprocess of the present invention provide: flavor approaching that offresh fruits (or vegetables); texture and mouth feel superior to that oftraditionally-prepared jams, jellies, purees and preserves; enhancednutrients, including vitamins, minerals and fiber; and reduced caloriccontent as compared to traditionally-prepared fruit or vegetable spreadproducts.

[0018] The process of the present invention avoids the flavor, texture,mouth feel, and nutrient losses that occur during conventionalprocessing of fruit and/or vegetable spread products by using ahigh-temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurization process instead of thetraditional vat cooking and evaporation processes. By combining wholefruit(s), vegetable(s), or a combination thereof with a homogenizedslurry of other ingredients, including at least (i) sweetener, such as,for example and not limitation, fruit juice concentrate, invert syrup,corn syrup, high fructose corn syrups, maltose, cane syrup, honey,polyols such as sorbitol, mannitol, glycerol, propylene glycol, fruitjuices or any mixtures thereof, (ii) soluble dietary fiber such as, forexample and not limitation, fructo-oligosaccharide or inulin, andpectin, and by then pasteurizing the combined mixture in, preferably, aswept-surface heat exchanger, a shelf-stable fruit and/or vegetablespread product having less sugar (and, hence, reduce caloric content)and more dietary fiber is produced, and (iii) nutrients (as definedherein) including, but not limited to, vitamins and minerals. Theresulting fruit and/or vegetable spread products have good texturalquality and mouth feel, intense flavor, and maintain the color andstructural integrity of the whole fruit(s) and/or vegetable(s) presenttherein.

[0019] The process of the present invention further avoids the flavor,texture, mouth feel, and nutrient losses that occur during conventionalvat processing of fruit and/or vegetable spread products which areenhanced with supplemental nutrients such as vitamins, minerals andfiber. The supplemental nutrients, as defined herein, are combined witha dietary fiber and added to a slurry of fruit and/or vegetables andother ingredients. Preferably, the supplemental nutrients are bound to adietary fiber, such as inulin, rather than to a bulky binding agent suchas calcium. The fortified fiber-fruit and/or vegetable slurry is thenexposed to a high-temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurization processinstead of traditional vat cooking and evaporation processes. Theprocess of present invention results in a fruit and/or vegetable spreadproduct, as defined herein, having enhanced nutrition and improvedtexture, mouth feel, and flavor.

[0020] According to the preferred embodiments described herein, theprocess of the present invention uses less sugar than is used intraditional fruit and/or vegetable spread processing. Such reduction ofthe sugar content lowers the incidence of discoloration in the resultingfruit and/or vegetable spreads products (i.e., as compared to thediscoloration which occurs in traditionally, or conventionally, preparedfruit and/or vegetable spread products) which occurs as a consequence ofnon-enzymatic browning (also referred to as “Maillard Browning”). Theprocess' use of less sugar also results in higher water activity levelsduring preparation that are more amenable to pasteurization, therebyenhancing the pasteurization process.

[0021] Because the process of the present invention utilizes wholefruit(s) and/or vegetable(s) and/or combinations thereof in lieu offruit or vegetable juices for flavoring, the resulting fruit and/orvegetable spread products have improved taste, texture, and mouth feelwhen compared to fruit and/or vegetable spread products traditionallymade with such fruit or vegetable juices. By preparing a premix ofvitamins and minerals, and by binding the premix to a dietary fiber, theproduct of the inventive process achieves enhanced nutrition withoutdegrading the appearance, flavor, texture or mouth feel of the product.Additionally, by using pasteurization for microkill instead of vatcooking as in conventional fruit and/or vegetable spread processing, theprocess of the present invention does not “cook down” whole fruit(s)and/or vegetable(s) into mush and does not destroy their structuralintegrity, and thereby enhances the texture and mouth feel of theresulting fruit and/or vegetable spread products. Also, by usingpasteurization instead of vat cooking, the vitamins and other nutrientsof the whole fruit(s) and/or vegetable(s) are not lost by the presentprocess to the same extent that they are lost by the evaporation ofvapor during the vat cooking step of conventional processing.

[0022] The process of the present invention additionally produces fruitand/or vegetable spread products that may naturally fortify a consumer'sgastrointestinal tract. More particularly, the addition of dietary fiber(i.e., in the preferable form of inulin) by the process to the fruitand/or vegetable spread products produced thereby, may cause increasedabsorption of nutrients in the consumer's gastrointestinal tract, thusproviding a natural health food. Moreover, the process of the presentinvention produces fruit and/or vegetable spread products thatoptionally contain additional vitamins and minerals, including withoutlimitation, calcium, iron, phosphorus, vitamins A, E, and C. Theadditional vitamins and minerals are bound to a dietary fiber,preferably inulin, and incorporated into the fruit and/or vegetableproduct.

[0023] In addition to the previously described benefits of the presentinvention's use of high-temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurization,such pasteurization contributes to increasing the shelf stability of thefruit and/or vegetable spread products made by the process. The shelfstability of the resulting fruit and/or vegetable spread products isfurther enhanced by the heating and packaging steps of the process whichare conducted under substantially closed conditions to aid ineliminating the possibility of product contamination and to reduceproduct oxidation (and, hence, discoloration). Notably, the results oftesting on fruit and/or vegetable spread products prepared by theprocess of the present invention seem to indicate that the shelf-life ofsuch products is significantly longer than one year.

[0024] Further, the process of the present invention enables packagingof fruit and/or vegetable spread products made thereby, preferably, insqueezable tubes. Such packaging tends to keep the fruit and/orvegetable spread products hygienically safe and substantially free fromcontaminants and discoloration due to oxidation of the fruit(s) and/orvegetable(s) therein (i.e., due to reduced exposure to air) duringrepeated use. Such packaging also eliminates the need for cutlery inorder to use or consume the fruit and/or vegetable spread products andserves to make the products more portable.

[0025] It is therefore an object of the present invention to make areduced-calorie, natural, whole-fruit and/or vegetable spread productwhich suffers less reduction of the natural flavor of the fruit(s)and/or vegetable(s) therein during processing than fruit and/orvegetable spread products made with conventional processes.

[0026] It is another object of the present invention to make anutritionally-fortified, reduced-calorie, natural, whole-fruit and/orvegetable spread product which suffers less reduction of the naturalflavor of the fruit(s) and/or vegetable(s) therein during processingthan fruit and/or vegetable spread products made with conventionalprocesses.

[0027] Still another object of the present invention is to make areduced-calorie, natural, whole-fruit and/or vegetable spread product,optionally fortified with supplemental nutrients, which suffers lessloss of the texture and mouth feel of the fruit(s) and/or vegetable(s)therein during processing than fruit and/or vegetable spread productsmade with conventional processes.

[0028] Still another object of the present invention is to make areduced-calorie, natural, whole-fruit and/or vegetable spread product,optionally fortified with supplemental nutrients, which suffers lessdiscoloration of the fruit(s) and/or vegetable(s) therein duringprocessing than fruit and/or vegetable spread products made withconventional processes.

[0029] Still another object of the present invention is to make areduced-calorie, natural, whole-fruit and/or vegetable spread product,optionally fortified with supplemental nutrients, which suffers lessloss of the natural nutritional content of the fruit(s) and/orvegetable(s) therein during processing than fruit and/or vegetablespread products made with conventional processes.

[0030] Still another object of the present invention is to make areduced-calorie, natural, whole-fruit and/or vegetable spread product,optionally fortified with supplemental nutrients, having better flavorthan fruit and/or vegetable spread products made with conventionalprocesses.

[0031] Still another object of the present invention is to make anatural, whole-fruit and/or vegetable spread product, optionallyfortified with supplemental nutrients, having fewer calories than fruitand/or vegetable spread products made with conventional processes.

[0032] Still another object of the present invention is to make areduced-calorie, natural, whole-fruit and/or vegetable spread product,optionally fortified with supplemental nutrients, having less sugar thanfruit and/or vegetable spread products made with conventional processes.

[0033] Still another object of the present invention is to make areduced-calorie, natural, whole-fruit and/or vegetable spread product,optionally fortified with supplemental nutrients, having more dietaryfiber than fruit and/or vegetable spread products made with conventionalprocesses.

[0034] Still another object of the present invention is to make areduced-calorie, natural, whole-fruit and/or vegetable spread product,optionally fortified with supplemental nutrients, incorporating solubledietary fiber, such as inulin, into a fruit and/or vegetable spreadproduct without adversely affecting the texture, mouth feel, and/orcolor of the product.

[0035] Still another object of the present invention is to make areduced-calorie, natural, whole-fruit and/or vegetable spread product,optionally fortified with supplemental nutrients, having better textureand mouth feel than fruit and/or vegetable spreads made withconventional processes.

[0036] Still another object of the present invention is to make areduced-calorie, natural, whole-fruit and/or vegetable spread product,optionally fortified with supplemental nutrients, having more naturalcolor than fruit and/or vegetable spreads made with conventionalprocesses.

[0037] Still another object of the present invention is to make areduced-calorie, natural, whole-fruit and/or vegetable spread product,optionally fortified with supplemental nutrients, having better naturalnutritional content, or value, than fruit and/or vegetable spreads madewith conventional processes.

[0038] Still another object of the present invention is to make areduced-calorie, natural, whole-fruit and/or vegetable spread product,optionally fortified with supplemental nutrients, having shelf stabilityat least comparable to that of fruit and/or vegetable spreads made withconventional processes.

[0039] Other objects, features, and advantages of the present inventionwill become apparent upon reading and understanding the presentspecification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] The present invention comprises a reduced-calorie fruit and/orvegetable spread product, optionally fortified with supplementalnutrients, including whole, natural fruits or vegetables, orcombinations thereof and processes for manufacturing, or preparing, thesame. According to a first preferred embodiment of the present inventionand process thereof, the process includes a plurality of steps. First, aportion of the total quantity of whole fruit(s) and/or vegetable(s) inthe spread (or a combination thereof), a substance containing solubledietary fiber, optionally fortified with supplemental nutrients, andpectin are combined and mixed to form a slurry. Then, the remainingportion of the total quantity of whole fruit(s) and/or vegetable(s) (ora combination thereof) and liquid sweetener are combined with the slurryto form a resulting mixture, or blend, which is subsequently mixed to asubstantially even consistency. Finally, the resulting mixture ispasteurized and packaged in product form.

[0041] Described in more detail, the first step of the first preferredembodiment of the present invention comprises combining a portion of theoverall amount of whole fruit(s) and/or vegetable(s), or a combinationthereof, which are in the final spread product with a dietary fibercomponent, wherein the dietary fiber component is optionally fortifiedwith supplemental nutrients, as defined herein, and pectin. Additionalingredients such as glycerol or propylene glycol, for example and notlimitation, may optionally be added, in accordance with alternateembodiments, to the fruit(s) and/or vegetable(s), dietary fiber, andpectin. The combined ingredients are then, preferably, mixed with amixer at high speed, as known to one of ordinary skill in the art, andat room temperature for a period of time sufficient to form a slurry oremulsion. A mixer, acceptable in accordance with the first preferredembodiment, is a high shear liquid mixer, such as that available fromBreddo Likwifier (a division of American Ingredients) or from GreercoHigh Shear Mixers (a division of Chemineer Co.). It is understood thatthe scope of the present invention includes the use of other types ofmixers available from other vendors and the use of other mixing methods.It is also understood that, in accordance with alternate embodiments ofthe process, other ingredients may, optionally, be added to the slurryto provide variations in flavor, color, texture, and/or mouth feel. Suchother additional ingredients include, for example and not limitation,spices, acidifying agents, antioxidants, isoflavins, soy proteins,natural flavors and colors, buffering agents, preservatives, antifoamingagents and nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners.

[0042] Proceeding in accordance with the first preferred embodiment, theemulsified slurry is combined with the remaining whole fruit(s),vegetable(s), or combination thereof (i.e., of the total quantity offruit(s) and/or vegetable(s) of the final spread product) to impartflavor and with a liquid sweetener. The slurry, fruit(s) and/orvegetable(s), and liquid sweetener are then mixed in a mixer for aperiod of time appropriate to produce a mixture, or blend, having aneven and desired consistency. During combination and mixing, thetemperature of the mixture, or blend, is kept at or below roomtemperature until the blend is heated in a scraped-surface heatexchanger, as described below, to aid in preventing flavor loss and/orcolor degradation. Preferably, the mixer is a scraped-surface mixer suchas that available from Groen (i.e., Dover Industries Co.). It isunderstood, however, that the scope of the present invention includesthe use of other types of mixers available from the same or differentvendors.

[0043] Once the mixture, or blend, has been mixed to an evenconsistency, the mixture is pasteurized by raising and holding thetemperature of the blend, preferably, at a temperature in the range of165° F. (74° C.) to about 225° F. (108° C.) for a period of time (i.e.,“hold time”) between 10 seconds and 10 minutes, thereby killing anymicrobes that may be present in the blend. The required temperature andhold time are determined by the types of fruit(s) and/or vegetable(s)being used in the spread product and, for certain fruit(s) and/orvegetable(s), respective temperatures and hold times of 95° C. and 100seconds are appropriate. Generally, higher temperatures are combinedwith shorter residence times to provide satisfactory pasteurization.

[0044] According to the first preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the pasteurization of the blend is performed in aswept-surface heat exchanger having one or more cylinders of aparticular size by pumping, or passing, the blend therethrough. Theprecise number and size of the cylinders is, generally, based upon thecapacity and throughput desired for the process. A swept-surface heatexchanger, acceptable in accordance with the first preferred embodiment,includes a single cylinder, six inches in diameter by six feet inlength. An acceptable swept-surface heat exchanger also includes ajacket through which a heat exchange medium such as low pressure steamor hot water passes to cause heating of the blend in the cylinder. Theprecise length of the cylinder, or holding tube, is based on theparticular spread product and the combination of temperature andassociated residence time needed to effect pasteurization. Suchswept-surface heat exchangers are commonly found in the food industryand are available from vendors such as APV, Cherry Burrel, andAlpha-Laval. It is understood that the scope of the present inventionincludes the use of other temperatures, hold times, forms of equipment,and methods for pasteurizing the blend.

[0045] After pasteurization of the blend, the resulting product, asdefined herein, is then partially cooled to a temperature in the rangeof 45° F. to about 165° F. Preferably, the partial cooling of the blendis accomplished by pumping, or passing, the blend through a secondswept-surface heat exchanger which is substantially similar to the firstswept-surface heat exchanger employed, as described above, to pasteurizethe blend. However, in order to cool the blend, the heat exchangemedium, preferably, includes, but is not limited to, cold water, sweetwater, or a refrigerant.

[0046] Once the spread product is partially cooled, or chilled, thespread product is packaged, with the packaging being sealed immediatelyto minimize the exposure to air and, hence, to new microbes, spores, andother forms of possible contaminants. Optionally, the spread product maybe molded into sticks, pops, or patties, such as is done with margarineor ice cream, and/or transferred to a container for packaging. Optionalcontainers include, but are not limited to, tubs, bowls, cartons, tubes,jars, or any form capable of holding a liquid, solid, or semi-solidproduct. Additionally, sticks and/or wrappers may be used in order toproduce a lollipop or popsicle product. Preferably, the packagingincludes squeezable tubes which are filled with the partially cooledblend through use of a tube filler. The containers are then furtherchilled to refrigeration temperatures to protect against the breakdownof the fruit spread's texture, mouth feel, flavor, and color. It isimportant to note that, at lower blend temperatures, the packaging, ortube filling, should be performed in clean rooms to aid in preventingpost-processing contamination. It is also important to note that thescope of the present invention includes other forms of packaging throughuse of other types of packaging equipment.

[0047] In accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the presentinvention substantially similar to the first preferred embodiment, aslurry is prepared from liquid sweetener, soluble dietary fiber andpectin. The slurry is then combined and mixed with the flavor-impartingwhole fruit(s), vegetable(s), or combination thereof, to form a blend.After combination and mixing, the blend is pasteurized and packagedusing a method substantially like that of the first preferredembodiment.

[0048] In accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, substantially similar to the first preferred embodiment andthe second preferred embodiment, supplemental nutrients are combinedwith a fortified soluble dietary fiber rather than being bound tocalcium. The supplemental nutrients added to the soluble dietary fiberinclude, without limitation, vitamins, minerals, fibers, and/or pre- orprobiotics. The resulting fortified soluble dietary fiber is thencombined with liquid sweetener, a portion of the whole fruits and/orvegetables, and pectin to form a slurry. The slurry containing thefortified fiber is then combined and mixed with the remainder offlavor-imparting whole fruit(s), vegetable(s), or combination thereof,to form a blend. After combination and mixing, the blend is pasteurizedand packaged using a method substantially like that of the firstpreferred embodiment.

[0049] In accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, substantially similar to the first preferred embodiment, aslurry is prepared from liquid sweetener, a fortified soluble dietaryfiber, as described in the third preferred embodiment, and pectin. Theslurry is then combined and mixed with the flavor-imparting wholefruit(s), vegetable(s), or combination thereof, to form a blend. Aftercombination and mixing, the blend is pasteurized and packaged using amethod substantially like that of the first preferred embodiment.

[0050] Nutritionally-fortified whole fruit and/or vegetable spreads ofthe present invention are prepared by substituting the soluble dietaryfiber with a nutrient-fortified soluble dietary fiber. The fortifiedsoluble dietary fiber is prepared prior to combination with the liquidsweetener and pectin. Unfortified fiber is used to bind vitamins,minerals, prebiotics or probiotics, and other nutritional supplements tomake the fortified fiber. The nutrient-fortifed fiber is then added tothe sweetener and pectin in the same proportions as the unfortifieddietary fiber to form the slurry described in the preferred embodiments.

[0051] The whole fruit and/or vegetable spread product of the presentinvention contains between 55% and 85% natural fruit and/or vegetable,almost twice as much as any other fruit and/or vegetable product. As aresult, the spread product of the present invention contains less addedcarbohydrates than traditional spreads, while it provides more dietaryfiber. Preferred products of the present invention contain less than 10grams of total carbohydrates and at least 1.5 grams of dietary fiber perserving (serving size equals one tablespoon). More preferred products ofthe present invention contain between 5 and 8 grams of totalcarbohydrates and between 1.5 and 3 grams of dietary fiber per serving(serving size equals one tablespoon).

[0052] The fruit and/or vegetable spread product of the presentinvention may optionally contain starches and/or binding agents commonlyknown in the art. Examples of starches include, by example and notlimitation, starch derived from potato, tapioca, corn, sorghum, rice,and wheat. Starch may be present in the fruit and/or vegetable productof the present invention in an amount ranging from 0.025% to 6%.

[0053] The term “sweetener,” as used herein, includes any substancecapable of imparting sweetness to a product. Examples of contemplatedsweeteners include, but are not limited to, fruit juice concentrate,white sugar, raw sugar, fructose, dextrose, fruit juices, corn syrup,artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame andsaccharine, stevia, licorice root, rice syrup, honey, sugar alcohols orany combination thereof. In accordance with the preferred embodiments ofthe present invention, the amount of sweetener added during processingis between about 5 percent to about 50 percent, by weight, of the fruitand/or vegetable spread product. The amount of sweetener used, inproportion to the other ingredients, varies according to the particularfruit(s), vegetable(s), or combination of fruit(s) and vegetable(s) usedin the product.

[0054] As used herein, the terms “dietary fiber” and “fiber” include anycarbohydrate capable of providing bulking properties to the fruit and/orvegetable spread product, including, but not limited to, inulin andother plant starches and fructo-oligosaccharides. Inulin is a termapplied to a water soluble, heterogeneous blend of fructose polymersfound widely distributed in nature as plant storage carbohydrates.Oligofructose is a sub-group of inulin consisting of polymers with adegree of polymerization (DP) of 10 or less. Oligofructoses, acceptablein accordance with the preferred embodiments, include, but are notlimited to, the beta-2,1 type, inulin, irisin and lycorisin. Preferably,the dietary fiber is inulin. Also preferably, the fruit and/or vegetablespread product includes dietary fiber present in an amount between about0.5 percent and about 5 percent, by weight, of the final product. Theprecise amount of dietary fiber used, in proportion to the otheringredients, varies according to the particular fruit(s), vegetable(s),or combination thereof which are used in the product.

[0055] As used herein, the terms “fortified dietary fiber” and“fortified fiber” include any dietary fiber, as described above, whereinthe dietary fiber is used to bind additional nutrients, such asvitamins, minerals, and pre- or probiotics. Preferably, the fortifieddietary fiber is inulin, fortified with vitamins A, C, E and D and withcalcium. Also preferably, the fruit and/or vegetable spread productincludes fortified dietary fiber present in an amount between about0.025 percent and about 5 percent, by weight, of the final product. Thevitamins and minerals and other nutrients are preferably present in thefortified fiber in an amount between about 10% and 100% of the U.S.Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). More preferably, the vitamins,minerals and other nutrients are present in the fortified fiber in anamount between about 25% and 50% RDA. The precise amount of fortifieddietary fiber used, in proportion to the other ingredients, variesaccording to the particular fruit(s), vegetable(s), or combinationthereof which are used in the product.

[0056] The term, “pectin”, as used herein, refers to any substanceforming a colloidal solution in water which gels upon cooling. Thepectin may be in powder or liquid form, naturally occurring or modified.According to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, thefruit spread product includes pectin in an amount between about 0.5percent to about 3 percent, by weight, of the final product. The amountof pectin used, in proportion to the other ingredients, varies accordingto the particular fruit(s), vegetable(s), or combination thereof presentin the product. Notably, the pectin is uncooked in the process of thepresent invention, thereby causing less breakdown of the pectin thanwould likely otherwise occur if the pectin was cooked.

[0057] As used herein, the term “fruit” includes any commonly-knownfruit having a desired flavor, including, but not limited to, berries,including but not limited to apples, oranges, peaches, pears,pineapples, kiwis, apricots, plums, grapes, prunes, cherries, mangos,melons, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries,boysenberries, marion berries, mulberries, and the like.

[0058] The term “vegetable”, as used herein, includes any commonly-knownvegetable having a desired flavor, including, but not limited to,tomatoes, carrots, hicma, beets, beans, squash, spinach, onions, garlic,peppers (i.e., including jalapeno peppers), avocados, and herbs.

[0059] The terms “whole fruit,” “whole vegetable,” and. “whole” inrelation to fruits and/or vegetables or combinations thereof, as usedherein refers to fruits and/or vegetables, as defined above, which arepresent in solid form as opposed to puree or pulverized forms. The termsinclude, without limitation, chunks, slices, dices, pieces and otherforms of solid fruit and/or vegetable, as well as the fruit and/orvegetable in its unprocessed form.

[0060] As used herein, the terms “fruit spread,” “fruit spread product,”“vegetable spread,” “vegetable spread product,” “fruit product,” and“vegetable product” refer to any edible product including at least theingredients described herein. The spreads and products of the presentinvention may be formed into molds, such as into sticks or tubs (as isdone with margarine or butter), formed into pops or frozen novelties,used as a base for other food products, such as yogurts, or spread ontoother foods. The terms include, but are not limited to, jams, jellies,preserves, purees, marmalades, beverages, snacks, pie fillings,puddings, and bases for: fruit and/or vegetable-flavored drinks and/orbeverages, such as “smoothies,” ice cream toppings, condiments, fruittoppings, yogurts, dressings, baby food, curd, cheeses, dips, andsauces.

[0061] As used herein, the terms “nutritional ingredients,” “nutrients”and “supplemental nutrients” includes, for example and withoutlimitation, vitamins, minerals, fiber, herbs or other botanicals, aminoacids, substances such as enzymes, metabolites, and pre- and probiotics.

[0062] As used herein, the term “vitamins” includes, without limitation,any organic substance necessary to metabolize food in humans or otheranimals. Specifically contemplated vitamins include, but are not limitedto, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin C, thiamine,riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B₆, folate, and vitamin B₁₂.

[0063] The term “minerals,” as used herein, includes, by example andwithout limitation, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, iodine,and selenium.

[0064] The term “herbs or other botanicals,” as used herein, includesprocessed or unprocessed plant parts (bark, leaves, flowers, fruits, andstems) as well as extracts and essential oils. They are available asteas, powders, tablets, capsules, and elixirs. Examples of herbs andbotanicals include, by example and without limitation, DHEA, ginger,ginkgo biloba, ginseng, melatonin, saw palmetto, St. John's wort, milkthistle, aloe, Echinacea, and garlic, among others.

[0065] As used herein, the term “amino acids” is defined as the buildingblocks of proteins and the precursors of various nitrogen-containingmolecules in the body. The term includes the amino acid, itself, as wellas derivatives thereof. Examples of amino acids and their derivativesinclude, by example and without limitation, histidine, isoleucine,leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan,valine, alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, citrulline,cysteine, cystine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, glutamic acid, glutamine,glycine, omithine, proline, serine, taurine and tyrosine.

[0066] As used herein, the term “probiotic” is defined as any substanceor micro-organism which promotes the growth of other micro-organisms inthe human body and results in a beneficial effect on the body. Examplesof probiotics include, as example and without limitation, bacteriastrains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, including Lactobacillusjohnsonii (La1), Bifidobacterium lactis (BL), Sporogene, LactobacillusAcidophilus, Lactobacillus Delbruekeii, Lactobacillus Caseii,Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, Lactobacillus Causasicus, LactobacillusFermenti, Lactobacillus-Plantarum, Lactobacillus Brevis, LactobacillusHeleveticus, Lactobacillus Leichmannii, Lactobacillus Lactis,Lactobacillus Bifidus, Saccharomyces boulardii, Lactobacillus rhamnosusGG, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Streptococcus thermophilus, amongothers.

[0067] As used herein, the term “prebiotic” is defined as anynon-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects the host byselectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limitednumber of bacteria in the colon to improve host health. Prebioticsinclude, by example and not by limitation, Fructooligosaccharides (FOS),inulin, galactooligosaccharides and other digestion resistantcarbohydrates or oligosaccharides, pyrodextrins, maltodextrins, soybeanoligosaccharides (raffinose, stachyose), lactulose,isomalto-oligosaccharides, lactosucrose, glucooligosaccharides,palatinose, tagatose, and lactitol.

[0068] The following examples are merely illustrative of the process andresulting products of the present invention and do not serve to limitthe invention thereto.

EXAMPLE 1 Strawberry Fruit Spread

[0069] In accordance with the preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, the following ingredients, by weight, are combined and mixedtogether at room temperature using a Breddo Likwifier mixer and a Groenscraped-surface mixer to form a slurry:

[0070] 0.5-5% low-ester citrus pectin

[0071] 0.5-3% inulin

[0072] 12-20% white grape juice concentrate with a Brix level of 68

[0073] 10-20% organic liquid sugar with a Brix level of 72

[0074] The slurry and about 55-70% whole strawberries are mixed untilthe mixture, or blend, has an even consistency. The mixture is thenpumped through a swept-surface heat exchanger, where the mixture isheated to and held at a temperature of between 180° F. to 225° F. for aperiod of about two to three minutes. Next, the mixture is passedthrough a second swept-surface heat exchanger to partially cool themixture. Finally, the partially cooled mixture is packaged in squeezetube packages.

EXAMPLE 2 Raspberry Smoothie Flavoring

[0075] The following ingredients are, according to the preferredembodiments of the present invention, mixed together at room temperatureusing a Breddo Likwifier mixer and a Groen scraped-surface mixer to forma slurry:

[0076] 1-5% low-ester citrus pectin

[0077] 1-3% inulin

[0078] 15-35% white grape juice concentrate with a Brix level of 68

[0079] 15-35% organic liquid sugar with a Brix level of 72

[0080] 40-65% whole raspberries

[0081] Once the slurry, or emulsion, is formed, the mixture is pumpedthrough a swept-surface heat exchanger and heated to and held at atemperature of between 180° F. to 225° F. for a period of about two tothree minutes. Next, the mixture is passed through a secondswept-surface heat exchanger to partially cool the mixture to atemperature of between 45° F. and 165° F. Finally, the partially cooledmixture is packaged in appropriate packaging.

EXAMPLE 3 Fortified Whole Fruit or Vegetable Jelly

[0082] In accordance with the preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, the following ingredients, by weight, are combined and mixedtogether at room temperature using a Breddo Likwifier mixer and a Groenscraped-surface mixer to form a slurry:

[0083] 0.5-6% low-ester citrus pectin

[0084] 0.025-6% inulin fortified with Vitamins A, E, and C; calcium (ascalcium citrate)

[0085] 10-25% white grape juice concentrate with a Brix level of around68

[0086] 10-25% organic liquid sugar with a Brix level of 72

[0087] 0.025-6% starch

[0088] 0.05-15% water

[0089] The slurry and about 55-85% whole fruits and/or vegetables aremixed until the mixture, or blend, had an even consistency. The mixtureis then pumped through a swept-surface heat exchanger, where the mixtureis heated to and held at a temperature of between 180° F. to 225° F. fora period of about two to three minutes. Next, the mixture is passedthrough a second swept-surface heat exchanger to partially cool themixture. Finally, the partially cooled mixture is packaged in squeezetube packages.

EXAMPLE 4 Fortified Whole Fruit and/or Vegetable Smoothie Flavoring

[0090] The following ingredients are, according to the preferredembodiments of the present invention, mixed together at room temperatureusing a Breddo Likwifier mixer and a Groen scraped-surface mixer to forma slurry:

[0091] 1-5% low-ester citrus pectin

[0092] 1-3% inulin fortified with Vitamins A, C and E; calcium (ascalcium citrate)

[0093] 15-35% white grape juice concentrate with a Brix level of 68

[0094] 15-35% organic liquid sugar with a Brix level of 72

[0095] 40-65% whole fruit and/or vegetables

[0096] Once the slurry, or emulsion, is formed, the mixture is pumpedthrough a swept-surface heat exchanger and heated to and held at atemperature of between 180° F. to 225° F. for a period of about two tothree minutes. Next, the mixture is passed through a secondswept-surface heat exchanger to partially cool the mixture to atemperature of between 45° F. and 165° F. Finally, the partially cooledmixture is packaged in appropriate packaging.

[0097] Whereas this invention has been described in detail withparticular reference to its most preferred embodiments, it is understoodthat variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit andscope of the invention, as described herein before and as defined in theappended claims. The corresponding structures, materials, acts, andequivalents of all means plus function elements, if any, in the claimsbelow are intended to include any structure, material, or acts forperforming the functions in combination with other claimed elements asspecifically claimed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fruit and/or vegetable spread productcomprising (a) 0.5-5% pectin; (b) 0.5-3% soluble dietary fiberoptionally fortified with nutrients selected from one or more vitamins,minerals, prebiotics, or probiotics; (c) 12-20% sweetener; and, (d)25-80% of at least one fruit and/or at least one vegetable orcombination thereof.
 2. The fruit and/or vegetable spread product ofclaim 1, wherein the soluble fiber is inulin.
 3. The fruit and/orvegetable spread product of claim 2, wherein the at least one fruit orat least one vegetable or combination thereof is present in an amountfrom about 25 percent to about 75 percent of the total product.
 4. Thefruit and/or vegetable spread product of claim 2, wherein the fruitincludes at least one of strawberries, blueberries, boysenberries,raspberries, blackberries, cherries, mangos, peaches, pineapples, plums,kiwis, apricots, grapes, apples and mulberries.
 5. The fruit and/orvegetable spread product of claim 2, wherein the vegetable includes atleast one of carrots, tomatoes, hicma, beets, onions, garlic, zucchini,avocados, and herbs.
 6. The fruit and/or vegetable spread product ofclaim 2, wherein the fruit and vegetable are present in combination. 7.The fruit and/or vegetable spread product of claim 6, wherein the fruitincludes at least one of strawberries, blueberries, boysenberries,raspberries, blackberries, cherries, mangos, peaches, pineapples, plums,kiwis, apricots, grapes, apples and mulberries and the vegetableincludes at least one of carrots, tomatoes, hicma, beets, onions,garlic, zucchini, avocados, and herbs.
 8. The fruit and/or vegetablespread product of claim 1 wherein the soluble fiber is inulin fortifiedwith nutrients selected from one or more vitamins, minerals, prebiotics,or probiotics.
 9. The fruit and/or vegetable spread product of claim 8,wherein the at least one fruit or at least one vegetable or combinationthereof is present in an amount from about 25 percent to about 75percent of the total product.
 10. The fruit and/or vegetable spreadproduct of claim 8, wherein the fruit includes at least one ofstrawberries, blueberries, boysenberries, raspberries, blackberries,cherries, mangos, peaches, pineapples, plums, kiwis, apricots, grapes,apples and mulberries.
 11. The fruit and/or vegetable spread product ofclaim 8, wherein the vegetable includes at least one of carrots,tomatoes, hicma, beets, onions, garlic, zucchini, avocados, and herbs.12. The fruit and/or vegetable spread product of claim 8, wherein thefruit and vegetable are present in combination.
 13. The fruit and/orvegetable spread product of claim 12, wherein the fruit includes atleast one of strawberries, blueberries, boysenberries, raspberries,blackberries, cherries, mangos, peaches, pineapples, plums, kiwis,apricots, grapes, apples and mulberries and the vegetable includes atleast one of carrots, tomatoes, hicma, beets, onions, garlic, zucchini,avocados, and herbs.